Innovation, design, and strategy in an age of disruption

Given the disruption and change in marketing and in markets, members placed significant emphasis on the topics of innovation, design, and strategy. In particular, new knowledge and new models are needed in the area of innovation: designing, developing, and bringing new products, services, and experiences to market. In addition, members are seeking new approaches to enable them to forecast, identify, and respond to market disruption. For example:

Innovation and Design

New models for innovation and product development in the age of big data and analytics. Systematically evaluating successful innovation using quantitative tools. Putting more science in innovation.

Understanding the role of aesthetics and design in innovation, new product development, and experience design. How can we bring design thinking into marketing?

Developing better predictive tools that are effective at various stages of development

How to design stores and channels that are shopper centric. What will the in-store experience be, given the digitized consumer?

How to design complex service offerings that are effective, efficient, and resilient to service failures

How to develop and market ideas and experiences rather than products or services

“Faster methods for test and learn. Better forecasting methods that take into consideration the disruptive effect of technology.”

“How to project the future effectively to get tangible, actionable insights to develop products with 5–10 year development cycles.”

“Wearables: soon it’s going to be in you or on you. How will this impact marketing, design and development?”

“What is the architecture of launching new brands in today’s environment?”

“What is the role of marketing when the technology becomes invisible, versus right now, where the technology is front and center?”

Strategy

Fragmentation of value: Is what constitutes “value” in the eyes of the customer changing?

Identifying and understanding new entrants and nontraditional companies as competitors

Identifying faster ways to spot the next generation business models (e.g., sharing/collaboration economy, crowd sourced models) — how to see them on the horizon

What drives trust in disruptors?

How do you anticipate market disruption? How do you learn and adapt more quickly?

How insights from emerging markets may enable faster identification of potential disruptors

How should big firms respond to disruptive business models? How do big firms stay relevant? How do big brands fight against being “too big” in customers’ minds? How do big firms maintain trust? Survival and growth in an age where known brands are often less enticing than unknown brands

“Which industries are ready to be disrupted?”

“Will consumers become comfortable with crowd sourced service providers as the predominant (versus marginal) model?”

“Paradox of complete trust of unknowns and complete distrust of known brands. How do big brands compete with little brands? Should they launch little brands? What are the drivers of distrust for big brands? How can a brand be real and authentic?”

“There appears to be a greater proclivity to try new brands in the U.S., in contrast to developing areas. What are the cultural differences in what drives trust?”

“What will laser-focused targeting do to companies? Does it create a more level playing field for all companies? Will this benefit small companies and hurt big companies?”

“How do we ‘future-proof’ our brand?”

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